Category: Business Day

TotalEnergies has revealed how they are grooming the next generation of the Niger Delta elites. The company said they are not only building energy future of the world but unlocking the reservoir of the Niger Delta next leaders.

They said last week in Port Harcourt that the company is doing that through sustainable and strategic investment in education, schools infrastructure, scholarship awards, extra-curicula activities such as Book Reading contests and Open Event days.

The company particularly said: ‘We are investing in education and youth development to unlock the next chapter of greatness’.

Olivier Casesolles, deputy managing director (DMD) Total Energies Joint Venture Asset, said the initiative of encouraging young ones to read, is not simply about increasing literary powerhouse and study of Literature but about nurturing minds capable of empathy, creativity, and critical thinking. Most observers said the oil region was full of brotherly love, communalis, peace, help for one another, and bonding. Now, they said, most of those virtues have vanished and eplaced with violent tendencies and selfish acquisition. Now, working to restore those virtues seems to be the objective of most corporate social responsibility projects of some oil corporations in the region.

One of such programmes is the Book Reading and Open Event scheme by TotalEnergies which holds years at the headquarters in Trans-Amadi, Port Harcourt.

Casesolles chose the opportunity of the event to reveal the inner plans and objectives of the event. It was the the 2025 Book Reading and Open Day Event for Senior Secondary Schools Students.

The DMD stated that for over 60 years, TotalEnergies has been passionate about lighting up minds and empowering future generations through education.

ýThe company said the scholarships provided by TotalEnergies has assisted thousands of students to access quality education. And more than 700 petroleum engineers have graduated from the Institute of Petroleum Studies (IPS) in the University of Port Harcourt.

ýThe DMD also stated that lives of most executives today and in the future depend on the books they read and the knowledge they possess. He traced his own life and success stories to an early exposure to reading.

ýThe DMD also identified other education support initiatives of TotalEnergies in Nigeria to include the provision of solar lamps to students to aid their studies, provision of classroom blocks, State-of-the-art laboratories and equipment in schools, and training of some university lecturers at the Massachusette Institute of Technology in USA, a move to strengthen teaching methodology in Nigeria.

ýBy supporting education, TotalEnergies says that they have nurtured and are still nurturing future leaders, innovators, and change makers.

ýTotalEnergies emphasized that the ‘Book Reading and Open Day Event’ has enhanced character, discipline, and personal growth since it’s inception.

ýThe TotalEnergies boss used the occasion to admonish all in attendance to pay close attention to the content of the ‘Book of the Year’, the ‘Potter’s Wheel’ by Chukwuemeka Ike, to identify who is the Potter, the Wheel, and the Clay, so as to benefit from the connection piece of literature and man in his society.

ýHe urged young ones to engage with the books they read as it is a gateway to endless possibilities, the passport to success and personal and professional development in this era of endless distraction.

ýThe DMD urged students to be inspired by ‘The Potter’s Wheel.’

ýHe further assured that TotalEnergies is delighted to invest in education by supporting students and youths to unlock the next chapter of greatness.

Adesua Adebola, General Manager Country Services of TotalEnergies, said the purpose of the book reading contest was to empower students. She charged them to take reading seriously as she said it is the key that unlocks a successful and brighter future.

ýShe charged the students to read day and night to become better prepared for what lies ahead and stand a chance to rank among the best in any field of human endeavor on the global stage.

ýAlso, Azibaolalare Uzoma Wogu, Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Education, represented by Charles Gbaranwi, a deputy director in the Ministry, commended TotalEnergies for their contributions to the growth, development, and success of education in Rivers State, expressing the Ministry’s continuous readiness of the partner (TotalEnergies) in their efforts to support educational development in the State.

ýWoga assured TotalEnergies that students and schools in Rivers State were not threatened as the state current produced the most brilliant school in the country according to the rankings of the National Institute of Legislative Studies (NILS) having emerged national champion of it’s quiz for secondary schools in the country.

ýShe described the ‘Book Reading and Open Day Event’ as a testament to the power of books which serves to inspire, educate, and transform; and also reminded the students that their journey in life begins with reading of books.

ýThe Permanent Secretary urged the students to marry their books, saying reading enriches lives, improves the mindset, and broadens horizons.

ýShe advised students to read good books, keep wholesome associates, and seek the guidance of their teachers while in school as their teachers serve as parent during school hours.

ýShe emphasized that stakeholders in education are crucial, and called on other companies and multinationals in the State to follow the footsteps of TotalEnergies.

ýWogu emphasized the need for all those aspiring for a teaching position in the State to acquire the requisite training and ensure to register with the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) to ensure competence and rid the system of quackery.

ýSpeaking on the emergence of a public school as the winner of the event, the Permanent Secretary stated that it was an indication that public schools in the state have come to stay and still possess some of the best attributes in terms of manpower.

ýSpeaking on the need for guidance in the choice of a career path, Adolphus Akwumakwuhie, a legal practitioner and ‘Role Model of the Day’, urged students to take advantage of the morning period which is the preparatory stage in life. He warned against bad association, drug abuse, and other social vices incidental to youths, saying they lead to a destructive future.

ýHe admonished students to take their decisions regarding career choices seriously because they now stand at threshold of the future.

ýThe Role Model charged the students on the judicious use of time, stressing that their is time for everything. He noted that the time the students are in now is the most important in their lives.

ýAkwumakwuhie called on parents and guardians to resist the temptation of imposing a career on their children, saying it may lead to an unhappy future.

ýThe ‘Book Reading’ exercise brought together over 10 senior secondary schools in Port Harcourt, including Enitona High School, Immaculate High School, Model Secondary School GRA Port Harcourt, Redeemers College, and GCSS Borikiri, saw Community Secondary School (CSS) Okuru-Ama emerge as winner.

ýSpeaking on behalf of the students of CSS Okuru-Ama, Hellen Amakiri expressed gratitude to the organizers (TotalEnergies) for the initiative which she said has equipped her and other students in attendance with vital knowledge needed to make the right choices for a successful future.

ýShe also commended TotalEnergies for a prominent role in the oil, gas, and renewable energy industry and their commitment to sustainable energy in Nigeria and the world.

ýAmakiri further expressed gratitude to TotalEnergies for the opportunity given to her and her colleagues to participate in the ‘Book Reading and Open Day Event’, saying it paved the way for the emergence of her school as the winner of the 2025 edition.

The human desire to tell stories is as old as consciousness itself. From cave paintings to oral traditions and the sprawling libraries of the modern world, stories are the enduring vessels of human experience. For a nation as culturally diverse and historically complex as Nigeria, literature is not merely an art form; it is a vital act of self-preservation and a powerful tool for forging a collective identity from a mosaic of ethnic groups and histories. Nigerian literature, in its glorious diversity, represents the critical act of ‘telling our own stories,’ wresting the narrative from external interpreters and presenting the Nigerian socio-cultural realities through the authentic lens of the average Nigerian citizen.

To understand the power of Nigerian literature, one must first grasp the nation’s tumultuous, vibrant reality. Nigeria is a country of over 200 million people, home to over 250 ethnic groups, each with its own language, customs, and history. Its modern history is a tale of pre-colonial empires, disruptive colonialism, a fraught independence, a brutal civil war, and decades of political instability juxtaposed with relentless economic and cultural dynamism.

For the average Nigerian – the student in Lagos, the farmer in Kano, the trader in Onitsha – life is a constant negotiation between tradition and modernity, between local customs and global influences. It is a life shaped by the echoes of the past, the urgency of the present, and the hope for a future defined by self-determination. The grand narratives often written about Nigeria – of poverty, conflict, or corruption – rarely capture the day-to-day resilience, the irreverent humour, the deep familial bonds, or the sheer, creative survival instinct that defines the Nigerian spirit.

It is here that literature steps in, acting as both an archive and a mirror. Nigerian writers took up the pen as an urgent response to the colonial narrative that often reduced Africa to a ‘dark continent’ devoid of history and civilisation.

Chinua Achebe, often called the father of modern African literature, famously wrote Things Fall Apart to counter the reductive and often racist colonial accounts. He did not romanticise the past, but instead presented the sophisticated, complex, and human society of the Igbo people before European arrival. Through the eyes of Okonkwo and the community of Umuofia, Achebe humanised a culture and asserted that the African experience, in all its triumphs and tragedies, was worthy of global recognition. This was a profound act of cultural reclamation – literature as proof of a complete, fully-formed cultural identity.

Following Achebe, writers like Wole Soyinka, through his use of Yoruba mythology and his searing social commentary, continued to champion the richness of indigenous culture while also holding up a critical mirror to post-independence Nigeria’s failings. His work blends traditional storytelling elements with modernist forms, reflecting the hybrid nature of the modern Nigerian self – a self constantly negotiating ancient roots and contemporary challenges.

In the contemporary era, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has taken the Nigerian story to a global stage, exploring new dimensions of cultural identity. Her work, such as Americanah, captures the experience of the Nigerian diaspora, showing how cultural identity is not a static monolith but a fluid construct shaped by place, race, and self-awareness. Adichie uses the simple act of naming a Nigerian accent, or discussing Nigerian food and hair culture abroad, to illustrate the everyday friction of maintaining one’s heritage in a world that pressures conformity. For the average Nigerian, whether at home or abroad, these stories validate their unique struggles and triumphs – the difficulty of explaining Nigeria to an outsider, the ‘culture shock’ of returning home, or the bittersweet experience of cultural hybridity.

Literature’s power in preserving cultural identity lies in its ability to give voice to the unspoken and to solidify the ephemeral. This buttresses the fact that literature preserves language and idiom. Nigerian writers frequently infuse their English prose with Nigerian Pidgin, proverbs, and untranslated terms from indigenous languages. This linguistic blend is not an accident; it is a deliberate artistic choice that asserts a distinctive ‘Nigerian voice’ and safeguards linguistic markers of identity. When an average Nigerian reads a phrase like ‘The sun was like a red, bleeding eye,’ (a classic Achebe-ism) or encounters a character using Pidgin for emphasis, they recognise a shared rhythm of thought and speech.

Similarly, literature chronicles social realities. Nigerian literature goes beyond historical accounts to explore domestic, social, and psychological realities – from the pressures of extended family obligations and the role of religion, to gender politics and the daily struggles with power outages and corruption. These novels and poems serve as a social record, a place where the ordinary citizen sees their own life elevated to the level of art, confirming their experiences are shared and significant.

Furthermore, literature serves as a cultural tool that fosters empathy and national cohesion: In a multi-ethnic nation prone to internal tensions, literature is one of the few places where Nigerians can step into the minds of people from different cultural and religious backgrounds. A reader from the South-East reading a story set in the North gains insight and empathy, helping to bridge the gap between ‘us’ and ‘them,’ and forging a broader, unified sense of Nigerian nationhood based on a shared national experience.

In essence, by ‘telling our own stories,’ Nigerian writers do more than just entertain or inform; they perform a profound cultural service. They create a literature of affirmation – a living, breathing space where the multifaceted and often contradictory Nigerian identity is celebrated, challenged, and permanently recorded for future generations. Literature is the collective memory and ongoing conversation that ensures that the Nigerian story, in all its complexity and courage, is forever told by those who have lived it.

The Federal Ministry of Education has clarified that all students must continue to register and sit for English Language and Mathematics in their O-Level examinations.

The ministry in a statement signed by Boriowo Folasade, director, press and public relations, said that the new policy does not exempt any candidate from these core subjects but rather introduces a more inclusive and flexible approach to tertiary admission requirements.

‘English and Mathematics remain vital tools for communication, reasoning, and lifelong learning. The adjustment affects only admission criteria, not the requirement to take these subjects.’

Maruf Tunji Alausa, minister of education, explained that the reform promotes fairness and inclusiveness in tertiary education by ensuring that capable students are not denied admission due to deficiencies in non-core subjects.

‘The streamlining of O-Level admission guidelines aims to modernise Nigeria’s education system and align it with global best practices. ‘It allows institutions to admit candidates into specific programmes where credit passes in either English or Mathematics may not be compulsory, while still mandating that all students register and sit for both subjects,’ the statement reads.

The ministry explained that the reform supports the federal government’s vision of equitable access, inclusivity, and human capital development, broadening academic pathways and recognising diverse strengths among learners. The Ministry urges students, parents, and stakeholders to rely solely on official communication channels for verified policy updates.

Mud, timber, and bamboo have been listed as top alternatives to expensive, largely imported, building materials that could be used to build low-cost housing in Nigeria.

Sanmi Olowosile, chairman of the Sustainable Green Environment Initiative, has urged Nigeria to rediscover the use of these local materials, explaining that with proper treatment, bamboo’s tensile strength can match conventional steel. Olowosile, who spoke the Sustainable Building Conference 2025 hosted by BusinessDay, explained further that the bamboo plants also regenerate within 18 months, absorb carbon, and can create jobs if policies were in place to scale its usage.

‘Importantly, such policies could attract the much-needed funding to power the almost 30 million housing unit deficit in Nigeria,’ he said, pointing to Rwanda’s thriving Climate Fund as proof that intentional policy attracts billions in support. As a way to check rent increase, Architect George called on the government to improve the road and rail transportation network, to encourage more people to move away from overcrowded commercial centres, to neighbouring locations where rents are more affordable. This has become necessary as a recent poll reveals that 72 percent of Nigerian workers spend 40 percent of their salary on house rents.

This was one of the findings in the recently conducted BusinessDay Talk Exchange polls on the State of Housing in Nigeria.

’72 percent of respondents spend between 4 to 6 months of their annual salaries on house rents, amounting to about 40 percent of their income,’ the poll revealed.

IN a taxi ride to ‘meet our friends from Kenya’ at their hotel, I had what could be my best brainwave ever. I gingerly tested it with my brother and friend in Lagos who I was representing. He accepted it.

Minutes later at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, I was selling an idea to aides of Raila Odinga, former Prime Minister of Kenya, who was visiting, for us to put him on Arise TV to share his profoundly insightful principles and practices of democracy in Kenya which have impacted individual resilience across borders.

Enthusiastic as his aides were, they were in doubt on several counts – the possibility of getting on television so quickly, the logistics of getting to the station, and if Odinga’s punishing schedule in Nigeria would allow him to make the television appearance.

All these were happening on the night of 22 July 2025. I had not met Raila by then. I was more familiar through history with Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Raila’s father, Kenya’s first Vice-President, and a significant figure in the famed struggle for Kenya’s independence. The older Odinga died in 1994 at 82 in Kisumu.

‘We must reinforce democracy. Our people demand it. However, we need to find ways to make democracy function alongside established traditional systems of governance, conflict prevention, and resolution.’ Odinga said as he addressed ‘The imperative of building Afrocentric governance frameworks for a new Africa’ at the two-day International Conference on Africa’s Democracy (ICAD 2025) in Abuja.

‘The Panels of the Wise and the Eminent African Personalities need to be main-streamed and strengthened. These two bodies can prove that Africa can still resolve its problems using the age-old systems of elders and wise men and women.

‘Our own Continent’s Peace and Security Council should be our first port of call when conflicts arise. It should not be relegated to second fiddle to other initiatives aimed at bringing peace and stability to the continent.’

He also called on African nations to embrace the Digital and Artificial Intelligence revolution. Odinga charged: ‘Africa must find a way to end national rivalries, unite its people, modernise, and revitalise ancient African civilisations, and establish supranational institutions capable of competing globally. Regional economic communities are attempting this but are failing as foundations for African unity and renaissance. Africa cannot keep seeking markets in a world that is turning away from it.

‘Therefore, a strong common market, borderless trade, open skies, open visa policies, and investments in infrastructure are essential. Trade will not only strengthen us economically but will also show us that we need each other, helping to move beyond seeing one another as competitors and rivals.’

On the threat of climate change, Odinga urged, ‘We know it can exacerbate inequality, increase poverty, and intensify food insecurity.’ We must make Africa a leader in the world by transforming disasters into a source of prosperity through the protection of remaining carbon sinks, greening production, and expanding our natural carbon sinks to remove carbon from the air.’

He had arrived the same day to honour the ICAD invitation. He got into the conference straight from the airport. His aides were rightly concerned on getting him into bed early enough the following day so that he can rest before boarding a morning flight back to Nairobi. Odinga was 80 on 7 January 2025.

On the way out, I pointed out the Arise TV studio to his aides, spoke to colleagues at Arise. The next day, thanks to them all, and especially Charles Aniagolu, the Prime Time anchor, Odinga spoke to Africa and the world about the continent’s struggles with democracy, mirroring it with his personal experience.

Again, thanks to Arise TV for the tributes it paid Odinga after the passing of the fearless, resilient man who stood for democracy bringing to the fore, the imperative of an unrelenting opposition to the sustenance of democracy.

A five-time presidential candidate, whose failures drove to achieve constitutional amendments that brought stability to Kenyan democracy, Odinga changed Kenyan politics for good.

‘His major motivation was to see a better Kenya. Kenya was able to sustain the drive for democracy with the likes of Odinga,’ said Prof. Eghosa Osaghae, Director-General, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, during Arise TV’s special segment on Odinga on Wednesday.

A little after speaking with Arise on 23 July, he went into series of meetings and by past 2am Kenyan time (two hours ahead of Nigeria), he was still up reviewing events.

I finally met him then. Sitting about three feet from me, he continued his positions that Africa needed to succeed together and that it was possible if Africa worked together, opened borders to its residents, increased intra-continental trade, and exchanges of scholarships by creating opportunities for them.

He is politeness personified in words and deeds. When he spoke on phone with Chido Nwakanma in Lagos, he apologised that they could not meet and promised ‘a next time’.

For most of 2024, Odinga engaged in extensive campaigns all over Africa for Chairperson of the African Union Commission, AUC, the successor to Oganisation of African Unity, OAU, since 2002.

One of Odinga’s final disappointments was his loss of the election for the African Union Commission Chairperson, which held on Saturday 15 February 2025 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to Djibouti’s Foreign Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf.

With the position zoned to East Africa, Youssouf won after the seventh round of balloting when he obtained the mandatory 33 votes to clinch the post at the expense of Odinga.

Odinga, the frontrunner for the leadership position before the summit, won the first round and Youssouf led from the second round after the Madagascan candidate dropped off the race.

Africa traded religion and other considerations for a competent, seasoned leadership for AUC.

Top on Odinga’s agenda for AU was continuation of the works he had dome during his tenure as the AU High Commissioner for Infrastructure. He led policies and programmes that were important to opening up Africa for more internal engagements.

Worse was that AU has for years been mouthing the importance of democracy. It has no strong sanctions to implement it. Would a continent that claimed to be promoting democracy hand its leadership to Djibouti, a country that has not held democratic elections since its independence in 1977 from France.

The current President Ismail Guelleh, first elected in 1999, was the hand-picked successor to his uncle, Hassan Gouled Aptidon, who had ruled Djibouti from independence in 1977.

Guelleh was re-elected in 2005, 2011, 2016 and in 2021 for five-year terms. The elections were largely boycotted by the opposition amid complaints over widespread infractions.

Odinga goes home with his fire for democracy, a steadfast opposition leader who understood the tears of opposition but conquered them without fears.

Tributes have been pouring in for Odinga, many of them from many who would not lift a finger for democracy. His supporters turned out in hundreds of thousands to mourn the man who they admired for his industry, integrity, and commitment to democracy and recognising that it was incomplete without a vibrant opposition.

Bye, Odinga, Africa will remember you – that is the headline in Kiswahili

Finally.

ADAMS Oshiomole, as the national Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, three years ago, at a presidential rally had advertised that APC would provide refuge of for sinners, political leaders, in this case. ‘Once you join APC,’ he told Edo party leaders who were dumping the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for APC, ‘your sins are forgiven’.

Nigerians are interested in the uniqueness of the ‘sins’ and why only APC can forgive them. We will discuss them in the coming weeks. In the interim, the credits for APC’s membership drive that appears to be for peculiar people go to Oshiomhole who saw tomorrow on 17 January 2019, who while on a live broadcast of APC’s re-election campaign for Muhammadu Buhari declared APC the refuge of sinners, joining APC brought instant pardon, Oshiomhole assured.

IS it possible that the Tinubu administration is so comprehensively bereft of shame? How can it release a list of those it has pardoned or reduced their prison terms, and it cannot defend the list? After outcries that the majority of the beneficiaries were involved in drug offences, government officials are telling the whole wide world – www – that the list is under review. I doubted the ‘review’ until the mostly highly regarded Chief Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, Minister of Justice, and Attorney-General of the Federation signed a statement to that effect. What would be reviewed? A list that passed through the National Council of States, as the Constitution requires or were the ‘reviews’ inadequate? Will more names get on the list, or will some names be deboarded? The shamelessness of the Tinubu administration embarrasses ‘we the people’.

WHAT does it mean when inflation ‘comes down to 18 per cent’? The announcement by the National Bureau of Statistics is being recorded as a major achievement of the administration since inflation at point was over 30 per cent. Why does the statistic not reflect in lower prices of food stuffs, other goods, and services. Harvests are on, corn, President Tinubu’s delicacy, agbado, is available but expensive. Nobody should blame Tinubu about the cost of agbado. He campaigned that we should eat agbado and cassava. He never promised that they will be cheap. Insecurity is a major factor in high prices of goods and services.

ANY leadership role in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, in the lingo of most of those who are in authority for the weirdest reasons, is a juicy appointment. Would that account for FCT having 34 Commissioner of Police in less than 50 years of its creation? From December 2022 to date, FCT has had six Commissioners of Police, serving an average of nine and half months each. Do these brief managements of the security of Abuja permit effectiveness?

CELEBRATIONS of the Super Eagles 4-0 defeat of Benin Republic in the final 2026 World Cup qualifying game, left me wondering if we have accepted our declivity in sports to the extent that we now celebrate any or ‘at all, at all’ results. We are celebrating drawing five out of 10 matches. We can celebrate that after South Africa lost three points to FIFA’s sanction we could not qualify. Before us is a testy turn and twist that can ‘still qualify us’. We are to beat two teams in Africa and beat other countries from Latin America and Asia to qualify.

Wakanow Group, Africa’s leading travel tech company, has announced its acquisition of NairaBox, a fast-growing lifestyle and entertainment platform in Nigeria. The acquisition represents a strategic step by Wakanow to broaden its portfolio into entertainment, events, and lifestyle experiences, reinforcing its commitment to innovation, consumer centricity, and diversified growth.

Wakanow also names Tobi Andero as head of business for Nairabox, joining from the experiential marketing industry. Tobi brings with him a wealth of experience in brand engagement, experiential strategy, and business leadership, positioning Nairabox to scale operations and enhance its value proposition under the Wakanow umbrella.

NairaBox is known for providing seamless access to event tickets, cinema experiences, lifestyle offerings, and more via its digital platform, combining convenience with engagement. By integrating NairaBox into the Wakanow ecosystem, customers will enjoy more holistic experiences: travel, entertainment and lifestyle, all under one roof.

Speaking on the development, Bayo Adedeji, Group CEO, Wakanow, stated that: ‘We see tremendous opportunity in the intersection of travel and entertainment. This acquisition allows us to offer deeper, richer experiences to our customers not just where they travel, but how they live, how they enjoy, how they engage with culture. We are excited about what the future holds as we combine Wakanow’s strength and reach with the lifestyle energy of NairaBox’.

‘As we expand, we are focused not only on geography but on sectoral breadth. Entertainment and lifestyle are natural adjacencies to our business – they enhance the value we deliver and align well with consumer trends. We believe the synergies will unlock new growth, both for our customers and stakeholders’.

While stating his commitment to a smooth transition of ownership, Ugochukwu Jay Chikezie, CEO, NairaBox, affirmed that: ‘Joining forces with Wakanow marks an exciting new chapter for NairaBox and for entertainment in Nigeria. Over the years, we have built a platform that connects people to the experiences they love – concerts, movies, and live events. This acquisition allows us to scale that vision even further by integrating travel and entertainment into one seamless ecosystem. Together with Wakanow, we’re creating a future where access to unforgettable experiences, whether across cities or continents, becomes simpler, smarter, and more connected than ever.’

Wakanow is committed to preserving and enhancing the core strengths of NairaBox – its innovation, its connection with entertainment and lifestyle consumers, and its digital-first approach. Wakanow Group comprises multiple platforms including: Wakanow.com, Kalabash54.com, Roomde.com, Onburd.com, Pointview Travels, Trip Merchant, and now Nairabox.com.

The Kogi State Government has embarked on a major initiative to rehabilitate nine livestock markets across the three senatorial districts of the state.

Speaking during the opening ceremony for the project on Friday at Kogi State Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (Kogi L-PRES) project office in Lokoja, Abdulkabir Onoruoyiza Otaru, project coordinator, highlighted the importance of the initiative and assured of a transparent process.

Otaru described the market rehabilitation project as a new dawn in Kogi State’s livestock value chain, and commended Governor Ahmed Ododo for fully supporting the project, adding that the World Bank had approved the project, with nine livestock markets to be rehabilitated in the first phase across the state’s nine federal constituencies.

‘We have secured World Bank approval for the rehabilitation of one livestock market in each of Kogi State’s nine federal constituencies.

‘We have engaged stakeholders to ensure a smooth bidding process and successful project execution. I urge the winning contractor to deliver high -quality work within the timeframe.

‘Governor Ahmed Ododo’s support for L-PRES has been instrumental in improving livestock farmers’ livelihoods and the state’s economy’.

He pointed out that the rehabilitation of the nine livestock markets is expected to enhance livestock productivity and value chain in the state, improving the livelihoods of farmers and the economy.

Olufemi Bolarin, Commissioner for Livestock Development, also said the rehabilitation project aims to enhance the livestock sector, crucial to the state’s economy and food security.

‘The modernisation of the markets will improve trading conditions, boost the livelihoods of farmers and traders, and create hygienic and efficient market spaces that meet international standards,’ Bolarin said.

Represented by Ali Peter, the Ministry’s Director of Livestock, the commissioner emphasised the need for a transparent and competitive bidding process, as he urged participants to adhere strictly to the guidelines.

Also, Abdulsalam Hadi, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, commended the governor for his commitment to transforming livestock development in the state, as he expressed confidence that the project would be a success, contributing significantly to the growth of the state.

Adeola Oshadare, the Kogi L-PRES Procurement Officer, disclosed that five companies submitted bidding documents with prices ranging from N1.22 billion to N2.12 billion.

He said, ‘The project bid was advertised on September 12, 2025, and five companies submitted bids by October 10, 2025.

‘ The bid prices are: Nuelika Infinity Ltd (N1.54 billion), Izyprecs Ltd (N1.55 billion), Emmanuel-NIK and Gold Ltd (N1.47 billion), RSA Global Investment Ltd (N1.22 billion), and Numora Integrated Ltd (N2.12 billion)’.

He noted that the next stage would be the evaluation of bids by the evaluation committee within the next week.

Usman Omeiza, chairman of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply, Kogi State Branch, in his remarks, commended the Kogi State Livestock Ministry, L-PRES, and other stakeholders for ensuring a seamless and transparent bidding process, as he urged them to maintain this transparency throughout the project.

In today’s Nigeria, every business is dependent on vendors. Outsourcing has been the standard for everything from IT maintenance services that manage servers to fintech developers who work with payment systems. It saves time and money, helping businesses focus on their primary objectives. However, there is a risk associated with that ease that most firms fail to recognize until it is too late. When a vendor is hacked, your firm may suffer the same consequences.

The SolarWinds attack, which made headlines in 2020, demonstrated the devastating impact of vendor breaches. Hackers did not target government agencies or large enterprises directly. They targeted SolarWinds, a reputable IT management company whose software was utilized by thousands of customers. By injecting malicious code within a regular update, the attackers silently obtained access to key US institutions’ networks via a single vendor. It was a lesson in patience and accuracy, demonstrating that even the most protected businesses may fail if a single source is compromised.

The true risk of vendor vulnerability is that it can sometimes enter through the backdoors of people you trust rather than through your own defenses. Many businesses think that once they entrust their data to a trustworthy contractor or cloud provider, it will be safe. The reality is different. The task can be outsourced, but accountability cannot. Today’s hackers are patient and strategic in their mode of attack. They don’t necessarily go for the biggest target; they go for the easiest path in, and vendors frequently supply that path. A 3rd party vendor may reuse APIs for different platforms or reuse backend access for multiple platforms. Even a cleaning service with a master access badge may unintentionally allow a breach.

This vulnerability is rising in Nigeria’s expanding digital economy, where e-commerce sites, government organizations, and fintech’s all rely significantly on outside IT partners. A hacked contractor can have an impact on dozens of companies that all thought their systems were secure. Most suppliers manage data from many clients, but few uses effective data classification or access control techniques to keep one client’s information separate from another. Third-party risk assessments and compliance audits are common in larger firms, but many mid-level suppliers who assist banks, telecommunications companies, and government agencies still fall short. They reuse passwords across environments, rely on out-of-date security tools, and occasionally administer client systems via insecure networks or unapproved work devices. Because their job takes place behind the scenes, these flaws are frequently overlooked until a breach reveals them.

For Nigerian businesses, the risk is further heightened by inadequate vendor governance. Too many partnerships are based on informal agreements rather than written contracts that outline data ownership, protection responsibilities, and breach response protocols. Without defined service-level agreements (SLAs) or non-disclosure clauses, accountability becomes ambiguous, leaving both parties vulnerable when something goes wrong. Attackers know that vendors may have weak access control and security governance. Instead of directly attacking a well-defended organization, they compromise a reliable third party. They employ commonly used plug-ins and automation scripts to introduce backdoors, distribute malicious payloads via shared repositories, or send spear-phishing emails. Once they’ve established a foothold, they proceed laterally across connected networks, using the vendor’s privileged credentials to access customer environments and steal data undetected.

Globally, high-profile instances such as the SolarWinds and MOVEit hacks have demonstrated how one supplier’s compromise may spread throughout entire industries. With financial platforms, cloud integrators, and IT service providers becoming more integrated, the country’s digital ecosystem confronts the same third-party risks. Cybersecurity cannot be completely outsourced. Companies must assess vendors before granting them access to sensitive systems. This includes determining whether they use multifactor authentication, encryption, and up-to-date software. Contracts should include provisions for data security, breach reporting, and frequent audits. Access credentials should be evaluated frequently and revoked when projects are completed.

The Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC) should take third-party security seriously. They can develop frameworks that require critical service vendors, particularly in the banking, telecommunications, and health industries, to meet minimum cybersecurity standards. Public-private collaboration is essential. Large enterprises could potentially take the lead by sharing best practices with smaller suppliers and insisting on compliance before contract signing.

In my opinion, Nigerian enterprises should regard vendor management as an integral element of their overall security strategy, rather than an afterthought. In cybersecurity, your defense is only as good as your vendor’s security. Outsourcing can help a business develop faster, but if done carelessly, it can also provide a backdoor for attackers. In today’s interconnected business environment, being secure is not enough. You also need to ensure that everyone who works for or with you is secure.

The crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken a dramatic turn as the party’s National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, has petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS), the Inspector General of Police (IGP), and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over an alleged forgery of his signature. The development further complicates preparations for the party’s planned national convention slated for November 15-16 in Ibadan, Oyo State.

In separate petitions dated October 15 and received by the three agencies on October 16, Anyanwu denied authorising or signing a letter dated August 29, 2025, purportedly sent to INEC concerning arrangements for the convention. He described the document as forged and urged security agencies to investigate and prosecute those behind the act, Punch reported. In his letter to INEC titled ‘Petition Against Forgery and Cloning of My Signature,’ Anyanwu wrote: ‘My attention has been drawn to a letter with Ref. No. PDP/DOM/GF.2/Vol. 1M/25-140, purportedly signed by me. Regrettably, the letter was never signed, authorised, or known to me. It is shocking to have a forged or cloned version of my signature on such a sensitive document.’

He called on the IGP and DSS to identify and prosecute the ‘officers of the Peoples Democratic Party and their collaborators within INEC’ allegedly involved in the forgery.

The petitions, obtained by PUNCH Online, come amid deepening internal wrangling over control of the party’s structures and the zoning of key offices ahead of the national convention. The controversy has already split the National Working Committee (NWC) and led to a flurry of court actions. Tensions have been high within the PDP as loyalists of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, continue to clash with the camp of the Acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagum. The disagreements centre on leadership tussles in the South-South zone, control of party organs in states like Cross River, Akwa Ibom, and Plateau, and the micro-zoning formula for upcoming elections.

Adding to the turmoil, three party officials Austin Nwachukwu (Imo), Amah Abraham Nnanna (Abia), and Turnah Alabah George (South-South Zonal Secretary) have filed a suit at the Federal High Court, Abuja, seeking to halt the convention. In the case numbered FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/25, they accuse the Damagum-led NWC of violating the party’s constitution and internal guidelines. At the court’s sitting before Justice James Omotosho, proceedings were stalled by a dispute over who is legally authorised to represent the PDP. Two Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Kamaldeen Ajibade and Chief Chris Uche, both claimed to be the party’s counsel. The judge directed them to submit evidence of their authorisation before the substantive hearing, which was adjourned to October 20.

In a related twist, a letter dated October 16 and signed by 14 members of the NWC reaffirmed the decision to remove the party’s National Legal Adviser, citing alleged compromise, and appointed Chief Uche (SAN) as his replacement. However, Ajibade insisted he remains the legitimate Legal Adviser, stressing that only a national convention can remove him.

With the latest allegations of forgery, police and security investigations could further delay or derail the PDP’s convention plans, widening existing divisions within Nigeria’s main opposition party.

Traditional rulers in Biakpan community in Biase Local Government Area of Cross River State have accused their neighbours from Etono II of launching renewed attacks despite ongoing peace efforts by the state government.

At a press briefing in Calabar, the Biakpan Traditional Rulers alleged that youths from Etono II recently invaded parts of Biakpan, destroying lives and property, including the multimillion-naira Brotherhood of the Cross and Star Cathedral at New Jerusalem, Biakpan.

The group said taht the assault, which came barely two months after both communities signed a peace accord on August 1, 2025, amounted to ‘a deliberate provocation and total disregard for the authority of the Cross River State Government.’

Speaking on behalf of the group, Obu Obu Enang, said that Biakpan could no longer remain silent while its people continue to suffer unprovoked attacks.

‘Our people have been killed, our places of worship destroyed, and our peace violated repeatedly. The Biakpan community stands for peace and law, but peace without justice is a mirage,’ Enang told journalists.

He urged Governor Bassey Otu to act swiftly by enforcing previous court judgments and government pronouncements affirming Biakpan’s ownership of the disputed land.

Enang cited three key rulings – the 1986 High Court, the 1989 Court of Appeal, and the 1996 Supreme Court judgment in Ojah vs Ogboni – which, he said, clearly established that ‘the land now occupied by Etono II is part and parcel of Biakpan communal land under the headship of the Biakpan paramount ruler.

‘We have obeyed the law at every turn, yet our patience has been mistaken for weakness,’ he said. ‘Despite clear judicial pronouncements and repeated government positions, the Etono II people continue to defy both the law and peace accords.’

The Biakpan chiefs also accused the Etono II community of committing various violent acts over the years, including killings, arson, and desecration of religious sites, with the most recent being the burning of the Brotherhood cathedral on October 5, 2025.

‘This latest attack during a peace period is a slap on the face of justice,’ Enang said, calling on security agencies to arrest and prosecute those behind the violence.

The Biakpan Traditional Rulers Council commended Governor Otu and the Biase Local Government Council for their earlier interventions but urged stronger action to ensure that peace accords and court rulings are fully implemented.

They further appealed to the Inspector-General of Police, the Director of the Department of State Services, and the National Human Rights Commission to investigate the alleged killings and destruction of property in the area.

‘Enough is enough. The Nigerian state must show that no one is above the law,’ Enang added. ‘We remain committed to peace, but we demand justice anchored on truth and the rule of law.’